Vunga Washing Station
- First time cooperation: 2023
- Cooperation model: Indirect Trade
About
Vunga was founded in March 2009 with 260 members. This is a women-led cooperative – an extremely rare occurrence in Africa. Vunga is located in Nyabihu District, the Northwest Region of Rwanda, bordering the western border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The small Vunga coffee washing station is nestled among the steep hills typical of Nyabihu and surrounded by thousands of banana trees. This place inherits a natural water source from the famous Virunga National Park nearby, creating abundant water to serve the preliminary processing.
The first cooperation between Vunga washing station and Muraho Trading was in 2017. In this first cooperation, Vunga lacks serious infrastructure and is not really efficient. It was Muraho Trading that helped the laundry station achieve its initial success.
Vunga has potential, the basis to create excellent lotteries
In Rwanda, Vunga is famous for producing high-quality coffee. It has twice entered the Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition in 2012 and 2014, ranking 13th in 2012 and 4th in 2014.
The coffee plantations cover an area of about 72 hectares, of which 36% is the land owned by the Vunga washing station and the remaining 64% is owned by various individuals. Coffee at the washing station is collected from 4 main areas: Rugera, Shyira, Rurembo and Jomba.
Contributing to the quality of coffee production here are suitable climatic conditions:
– Altitude: 1457 meters, (from 1500 to 1700m)
– Soil type: Alluvial soil and sandy loam soil
– Average pH of the soil: 5.
– Rainfall: 1300 to 1400 mm
– Temperature: 19 – 20 degrees Celsius
– CWS owner: Vunga Coffee
– Status: Cooperative
– Loading and unloading: 250 tons
– Processing system: Wet processing
– Drying table: 30, fully sun-dried
– Water source: natural springs on the mountain
– Power source: Generator
Vunga overcomes difficulties, ensures excellent coffee quality
Vunga was heavily affected by natural disasters almost continuously in 2018 and 2020. On May 6, 2020, heavy rain hit Rwanda, causing floods and landslides that killed at least 65 people lives and caused great damage to property. The Nyabihu district, where the Vunga washing plant is located, and more than 200 families work there, was one of the hardest hit. This place has witnessed the tragic death of 28 farmers due to floods; more than 325 houses, cattle, and countless coffee trees were lost. Total damage was estimated at $132,000.
Despite many difficulties, they never give up and always try to create the best coffee in Rwanda. The coffee here is washed but retains the original flavor and natural sweet and sour taste.
Under Daphrose’s stewardship, the efforts have yielded early results. In Vunga, each kg of fresh coffee is paid US$0.33/kg compared to the national average of US$0.25/kg, helping to increase the number of beds in Africa and improve the overall infrastructure. as well as providing bonuses and health insurance for coffee growers.
With this upgrade, we can completely believe in the sustainable development of the Vunga washing station.
